BUA3-0013 
Fieldnotes 
2020.11.25 
Nei - Aunt  
Oku nei – my aunt 
*neiku – my aunt 
Bobo – grandparent (gender neutral)  
Oku bobo – my grandparent 
*boboku – my grandparent 
Bobo agane – grandfather 
Bobo  
‘avale – cousin 
‘avaleku – my cousin 
*oku ‘avale – my cousin 
(?) ‘aciku – my niece/nephew (same as for siblings) [Sisilia will check on this]  
Oku ‘itau – my friend 
*’itauku – my friend 
Maxubuxu – my grandchild  
-xu = -ku 
*oku maxubu  
wa’iku – my spouse 
*oku wa’i 
Ma’aku - my eyes 
*oku ma’a 
Taliga – ear 
Taligana – his ear 
ucu - nose 
ucuna – his nose 
ona ucu – his nouse 
kavoxavoxa – head 
kavoxavoxaku – my head
*oku kavoxavoxa – my head 
Draxa – mouth 
Draxaku – my mouth 
*oku draxa – my mouth 
Ulu – hair 
Uluku – my hair 
*oku ulu – my hair 
Xaloxalo ni liga – my fingers (no possessive marker needed?) ‘abaxu – my shoulder 
Ligaku – my arm 
He’eku – my stomach 
He’ena – his stomach 
He’emu – your stomach 
Baboxo – my chest 
Babomu – your chest 
Babona – his/her chest 
Sucu – breast 
Sucuku – my breast 
*oku sucu – my breast 
Taxu – back (body part) 
Taxuku – my back 
*oku taxu – my back 
Ba’i - teeth 
Ba’iku – my teeth 
‘amani – father and his child 
‘inani – mother and her child 
vei‘acini – brothers and/or sisters (only two) 
dro’o vei’acini – brothers and sisters (3 or more) 
Dro’o ‘ixo va’a xei Sisilia 
*dro’o Sisilia 
“Sisilia and the people she’s with”
*Sisiliani 
*boboni 
Dranixacu – leaf 
Drana – it’s leaf  
Bui (single syllable?? Maybe not actually…) – tail Buina – his/its tail → [bu.’i.na] 
Intransitivity 
‘o ‘ira ‘uraga era sa mexe 
“The men are dancing.” 
‘o druxa veiwa’ini sa mexe ‘ixo 
“The husband and wife are dancing” 
Vei-wa’i-ni – husband and wife together 
E danisi ‘ixo a ‘agane e na sere 
“The man is dancing to a song” 
A ‘agane e mexe iri ‘ixo  
*a ‘agane e mexe ‘ixo a iri 
“The man is fan dancing (the man is dancing the fan-dance)” 
E danisi ‘ixo a ‘agane i loma ni ‘ona vale. 
“the man is dancing in a room of his house” 
‘o druxa veitau druxa danisi va’a ‘ixo 
“The man and his friend danced together” 
Existential/prepositional 
E tuga i vola e ‘ixo e na teveli 
“There is a book on the table” 
E tuga i vola e ‘ixo i e na bo’oni teveli 
“There is a book under the table” 
bo’oni underneath (of) 
E tuga a ‘oku i vola 
“I have a book” 
E lua a ‘oku i vola
“I have two books” 
E ‘u a meku wai 
E ‘ixo a meku wai 
“I have some water” 
Y/N questions 
Sisilia, e ‘u a memu wai? 
“Sisilia, do you have some water?” 
#n Rising intonation to indicate question 
WH-questions 
A cava e ‘ixo na ‘omu xa’o 
“What do you have in your bag?” 
A i vola e ‘u e na ‘oku xa’o 
“I have books in my bag” 
‘o cei a ‘omu ‘itau 
“Who is your friend?” 
‘O Sisilia a ‘oku ‘itau 
“Sisili is my friend” 
i vei a vale ni vo 
“Where is the bathroom” 
E ‘ixo volexa na vale ni xuro  
“(The bathroom) is next to the kitchen” Volexa – close to, nearby 
Laxo volexa mai vei au 
‘Oso volexa mai 
“come/move closer to me” 
‘Oso - move 
*vaxavolexa – make close 
‘ixo taitai ni neca 
2SG leaving  
“when are you leaving?” 
Taitai – leaving
Ni neca – (at) when  
Au taitai ni vulaci lailai 
“I am leaving tomorrow morning” 
‘ecica e vica ‘ama’a e ‘ixo na veinuxunuxu *e vica a ‘ama’a e ‘ixo na veinuxunuxu  “How people are on the beach?” 
#n NOT vei nuxunuxu (written as one word) 
E ruasagavulu a ’ama’a e ‘u na veinuxunuxu “There are twenty people on the beach” 
Causatives 
*vaxalaxo  
Au caxavi xea me laxo 
“I made him go walk” 
Vaxalevu – cause to be big, a lot 
Caxava vaxalevu a magi’i 
“make a lot of food” 
*vaxalevu a wai 
“a lot of water” 
E drodro valevu a wai 
“A lot of water is flowing” 
*Au ‘iga vaxalevu a ‘ama’a 
Au tiva elevu a ‘ama’a 
“I see a lot of people” 
*vaxalevu a vunixacu 
“a lot of trees”